Actress Amber Heard suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from the "intimate violence" inflicted by Johnny Depp, Dawn Hughes, a psychology expert, claimed on Tuesday May 4 at the Pirates of the Caribbean
actor's defamation lawsuit .
against his ex-wife.
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Johnny Depp displayed an "obsession with control" and "obsessive jealousy" throughout their "very volatile" relationship, Dawn Hughes added.
A clinical and forensic psychologist, she was the first witness called by the lawyers of the 36-year-old actress in this trial, which began three weeks ago in Fairfax court, near Washington.
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Johnny Depp, 58, claims his ex-wife ruined his reputation and career after he wrote an op-ed in the
Washington Post
in 2018 , in which she claimed to have been the victim of domestic abuse in 2016, without quoting her ex-husband .
He is seeking $50 million in damages.
The actor, who testified for four days, denies having ever raised a hand on his ex-wife, assuring that it was she who was violent.
Violent behavior
Amber Heard has counterattacked and is seeking $100 million, claiming to have suffered “physical abuse and assault” since they met in 2009 and during their tumultuous two-year marriage, from 2015 to 2017. In 2016 , she had sued her husband for domestic violence before dropping these charges during the divorce proceedings.
Dr. Hughes explained to the jurors that she had made a “definitive diagnosis” of post-traumatic stress after four tests with Amber Heard demonstrating, according to her, “violence from her partner in this relationship”.
Dr. Hughes said that when the actor “was drunk or stoned, he threw her
(Amber Heard, editor’s note)
on the bed, ripped off her nightgown and tried to have sex with her “, before adding” he forced her to give him oral sex when he was angry.
These were not moments of love, they were moments of domination”, as the Daily Mail relates.
Amber Heard, the beauty who melts Johnny Depp
In images, in pictures
See the slideshow15 photos
See the slideshow15 photos
Another time, when Depp accused a woman of hitting on his wife, he “performed a body search,” Dr. Hughes said.
She said that "he was looking for drugs", adding that Depp thought it was "acceptable to rip off her nightgown and put her fingers in her vagina looking for cocaine", exposes the British daily.
“He kicked him in the back”
According to Dr. Hughes, Amber Heard spoke of "behaviours of physical violence" and "acts of sexual violence".
"He pushed her, shoved her, slapped her with his back and the palm of his hand," she said.
“He strangled her, pushed her against a wall, pushed her and she fell.
He kicked her in the back”.
Her testimony is due to continue on Wednesday and Amber Heard is due to take the stand this week.
Previously, his lawyers had unsuccessfully asked Judge Penney Azcarate to dismiss Johnny Depp's complaint, which they said had not provided proof of defamation.
Her findings contradict those of another psychology expert, Shannon Curry, who claimed last week that the
Aquaman
actress suffered from personality disorders and had "grossly exaggerated" the PTSD symptoms she said she was suffering from.
Miss to win
"The court should accept this motion to quash because of the compelling evidence that it was he, in fact, who assaulted Amber," explained the actress' lawyer, Ben Rottenborn.
This request, usual in the American legal system, is rarely granted and Judge Azcarate considered that there were enough elements to continue the lawsuit.
Specializing in accounting operations and the last witness called by Johnny Depp's lawyers, Mike Spindler estimated on Tuesday morning that the actor had suffered a shortfall of approximately $40 million following the publication of the editorial, in particular by being excluded from the saga of the
Pirates of the Caribbean
in 2019 by the Disney studios.
The star's fees had exceeded 30 million dollars in 2017, his agent had estimated the day before.
In April 2018, the British tabloid
The Sun
accused Johnny Depp of being "an abusive husband".
The actor sued the newspaper and lost in a trial that exposed his drug and alcohol abuse.